If Suryakumar Yadav gets going, he can win India the World Cup: Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh played a lot of cricket against Suryakumar Yadav in the domestic circuit and also in the Indian Premier League. The legendary off-spinner explained how Suryakumar could be India's X-factor during the ODI World Cup 2023.

Suryakumar destroyed some top bowling attacks in T20Is to find a place in the hearts of cricket enthusiasts. However, he struggled to find his feet in ODI cricket. When he was picked in India's side for the 50-over World Cup, a lot of debate surfaced on why someone like Sanju Samson, who averages over 55 in the format, wasn't preferred instead. However, the management backed Suryakumar's ability to change the complexion of the game with his explosive batting. He also showed signs of improvement in the recent series against Australia, scoring two significant half-centuries.

According to the iconic cricketer Harbhajan, Suryakumar could win India the World Cup if he is in form. The cricketer-turned-commentator went on to state that Suryakumar would be his second pick in India's playing XI after captain Rohit Sharma.

"Looking forward to Suryakumar Yadav. He is an X-factor. If he gets going, he won't just win you the match, but he will win you the tournament. If I were a selector, I would have SKY as the second player in my team after the captain. Hardik Pandya is as good as anyone when it comes to hitting the ball and playing the normal game. I would play SKY if I were part of the team management. Who knows if they will play him or not?" Harbhajan said at the India Today Conclave.

Suryakumar Yadav reminds me of AB de Villiers: Harbhajan Singh

The 43-year-old compared Suryakumar to the legendary South African batter AB de Villiers. Harbhajan went on to say that he would persist with the right-handed batter even if he failed to perform straight away. The Punjab cricketer also lavished praise on his former teammate Shubman Gill and pointed out that the youngster has the possibility of doing something special at the ODI World Cup 2023.

"I don't know what it is about him (Suryakumar Yadav). Today, I would be frightened bowling to him but not when I was at my peak. He reminds me of AB de Villiers. We need a player like him to play. Even if flops, I would still play him for the remaining matches. And another player I want to speak about is Shubman Gill; he has the chance to do something when he could be remembered forever," Harbhajan added.

India's World Cup campaign begins on Sunday, October 8, in Chennai, when they take on five-time champions Australia.

Also Check: List of Shubman Gill international & IPL centuries